Crossroads
by Danny007
Summary: They say that once in a life, there comes a crossroad where one must make a decision. Every time I fail, I keep coming back to the same point. The point where it all started. The crossroads, where I must make a decision. Time-travel.
1. Chapter 1

**CROSSROADS**

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**Disclamer**: I do not own Naruto.

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I am Minato. That was the name given to me by my adoptive parents. My last name is Namikaze, also given to me by my adoptive parents. I have many other names. Some will say I have more names than anyone has a right to.

I have been called Yellow Flash, Iwa's bane and many other names as such. I have earned and paid for all these names. These are mine.

You may know of me.

But you do not know one thing. I am a Time Traveler.

I know how I became one.

It all started when I first unknowingly created my trademark technique by mistake. I was studying time-space seals back then. The Hiraishin, as people call it. It earned me the name, 'Yellow Flash'. It was a time-space jutsu, and allowed me to travel through large distances in seconds.

Little did I know it would be the beginning of my end.

I used the jutsu for killing, killing and more killing. I was rewarded for my actions in the war against Iwa, which I ended singlehandedly by myself. I still see their faces when I close my eyes. I ask myself, again and again, was it worth it? And the same answer comes back.

_No._

I was made the Yondaime Hokage for this. I cherished the village and protected it from all enemies. My wife was the holder of the Kyuubi- she was a Jinchuriki. From my actions in the past, I have been called the greatest Hokage that ever lived, comparable to even the Shodaime, who created the village in one day using his Mokuton.

My fate was sealed when the Kyuubi escaped from my wife while she was in childbirth. It was controlled by Madara Uchiha, and he used it to lay waste to the village.

Perhaps I had some presentiment for the future even back then, as, in my mind, I knew I was going to die this day. And I did die. I died sealing the Kyuubi into my only son, born on the same day the Kyuubi attacked. I died knowing that my son's life would be spent in misery. But it was worth it, I thought back then. How naïve I was.

I was left to rot inside the Shinigami's stomach after the sealing. I could see everything that passed.

How they treated my son, my only living legacy. I saw how he took it all in stride, and brushed other peoples remarks away as if it was nothing. They called him Demon, and he laughed. My son had a stronger will than me, I realized. I saw it all. How his only friend betrayed him, and left him for dead. How my student, Kakashi, never taught him anything. But my will was broken, when I saw him being defeated by Madara.

Madara. How I hate that man. His presence had destroyed my entire family in the span of only one day.

Using my hatred as a catalyst, I began tirelessly working to escape from the Shinigami. I was a sealmaster, after all. The greatest to have ever lived.

Somehow, I constructed another time-space seal, and used it to escape.

It was the beginning of my travels through the sea of time. I do not know if it was a consequence of a mistake in my sealing or if it was due to me escaping from the Shinigami.

They say that once in a life, there comes a crossroad where one must make a decision.

I still do not know why I keep writing this again and again. Every time I fail, I keep coming back to the same point. The point where it all started. The crossroads, where I must make a decision.

And yet whichever path I take, leads to the same conclusion. Madara winning in the end, and the world burning around me. His eye projected on the moon. The sky is scorching, red, and the land is burning. I have this vision burned on to my eyes, as since my birth, I have a curse. Some may call it a gift, but for what I have seen, it is a curse. I am cursed to never forget what I have seen.

My story always begins where my life ended.

The day the Kyuubi attacked the village.

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**A/N**: Oneshot, but this could develop into a multi-chapter if I get a good response. So please, R&R! (Also, the first, introductory bit is a shoutout to "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss. An amazing book, recommended to every lover of the fantasy genre.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto.

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**Chapter 1: Another Beginning**

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**A/N: Sorry for such a short chapter. Next chapter will be long, 4-5k words.**

With a sudden jerk, I awoke. I was in a bed, and beside me lay my wife, Kushina. I sighed and got up, being careful so as to not wake her up. There were things to do.

I was back again.

I checked the calendar, and my watch.

10th October, 6:43 AM. The same as always. Some may think that it is funny, that I have woken up in this same bed, at the same date and time for 41 times now. I do not.

(This loop is the 42nd.)

Where I had come from, the sky had been red. The moon was reflecting the red light of Madara's eye, and the corpse of my son lay within my arms. Madara had killed him in front of me, yet again for the third time now, and I had been powerless to stop it.

I always do things a bit differently each time. And yet it all leads to the same conclusion. If I am able to survive past this day, I live for quite a few years. After my son is 14 or 15, _he_ comes for us. And I always die. Sometimes he kills me first, sometimes he kills Naruto first. Sometimes he tortures him in front of me. Most of the time, I die at the hands of the Kyuubi. I have only survived this day about three times in 41 loops. And it was only because instead of me, either Sandaime had sacrificed himself, or Jiraiya. That was unacceptable. There had to be some way to survive this day without any of my precious people dying. I wonder, that even if I were to kill Madara some time in the future, would it end the time loop? Or am I doomed to live through this _hell _again and again?

Taking my mind off these insanity inducing questions, I returned to the task at hand. For this loop, I had decided to bring the Uchiha into the midst. After all, don't they say that only an Sharingan user could compete against another? It was my last plan. If this did not work, I would go mad. I am sure of it.

And so I walked towards the Uchiha District.

Uchiha are pathetic. I know that. They are far too dependent on their Kekkai Genkai , and are about as arrogant, if not more, as the Hyuuga clan. But their bloodline is not one to be mocked. Oh, no. I have seen Madara kill me too many times to be able to mock it. If the Uchiha were not so arrogant, and dependent on their precious eyes, they could be unstoppable. Just like Madara is.

It was then I realized I had been walking around in a daze, and about an hour had passed. I had wasted enough time.

With new purpose, I walked towards the Uchiha district yet again.

I was alarmed by what I saw.

I saw my wife, Kushina talking with the wife of the Uchiha clan head. Mikoto, I had heard Kushina say her name once, and of course, due to my particular curse, I never forget.

This was not alarming, of course. I was only startled because, Kushina had come here after I and she had talked to the elders about her 'condition'.

Her 'condition' being, of course, pregnant and a Jinchuriki at the same time.

But this time, I had not been there with her. This time, it was her alone that had talked to the others. Something different was happening. _Something different_. Not a lot different, to be sure, but it was still a difference. And sometimes small changes lead to large consequences.

Such a welcome change. Hope was rekindled within me. Perhaps I would succeed. Coming closer, I heard what they were talking about.

"…It's a girl isn't it?" said Kushina.

"No, it's a boy." That was Mikoto.

"So, have you decided what you are going to name him next?"

"Sasuke. After Sandaime's father."

Well, I had heard enough. I walked up and greeted both of them.

"What were you both talking about?" I said, trying to sound casual.

Kushina made a shooing motion with her hands towards me.

"Oh, just girl talk. Don't you have to do something? And why where you up so early today? Imagine my surprise when I wake up and don't find you there!" She said, giving me a pointed look.

I inwardly groaned. I should have just left. Now I would have to make something up.

"Ah, I'll tell you later. How are you feeling?" I said, trying to divert her attention towards other matters.

"Yes, I'm as fine as I can be, I guess."

"Alright. I have to talk to Fugaku about something, see you later." I said, walking away.

Yes! She had forgotten about asking me why I had left her.

"Minato?" said Kushina.

FUCK.

"Yes, Kushina?"

"Take care of yourself. You are not looking very good today. Are you unwell? Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you, The elders are acting quite paranoid and have instructed me to give birth inside a barrier away from the village. They fear that _it_ could break through."

"Ah, it's for the best. I am quite well. I have to go now."

With that, I took my leave. It was 8:10 AM now. I had wasted enough time as it is.

I went to Fugaku's house. After repeatedly knocking about three or four times, he finally opened the door. It seemed as if he was having some type of meeting with the other Uchiha elders.

Interesting. Perhaps he had already begun his plan of usurping the position of Hokage.

"Ah, Fugaku. I need to talk to you. It is very important, and for your ears only." Said I, glancing towards the other Uchiha.

With a sigh, he dismissed the gathered Uchiha, and walked up to me.

Being Hokage definitely has its perks. If it had been any other man than me who disturbed him at this time, he would surely have been detained or even killed. Uchiha were the leaders of the police force, after all. It was well within their rights to kill or detain trespassers.

"Hokage-sama. What do you want to talk to me about?" said Fugaki, albeit a bit impatiently.

I have always been reputed as a man of few words. So, I simply said, "I need you to be with me when Kushina is giving birth."

I also wanted to look at his face when I said that, not that I would admit it to anyone else.

Hahahaha. It was worth it. Fugaku stood, staring at me as if I had grown another head. All his impassiveness gone from his face, and eyes as wide as it could go.

"B-but why would you-" He sputtered. I decided to cut him short and explain things a bit.

"There is a small chance, that the Bijuu could break free. A really small chance, of course. I have heard that the Uchiha eyes can control even the Bijuu. As such, I want you to be there in case things get..out of control."

"No. We can't control Bijuu using the Sharingan. You must have heard wrong, Hokage-sama." He said. His face was back to its calm mask of impassiveness. How annoying.

"Oh? I have heard about it from a fairly _reliable_ source." Of course, I was lying. The Sharingan couldn't control a Bijuu. Only the Mangekyou could. But, having a sharingan user with me to combat Madara could be useful. But No one outside of the Uchiha clan knew of the mangekyou, after all. If I had told him I knew of it, there would be some explaining to do, and I had wasted enough time as it is.

If only I had more time..

"Perhaps my source was mistaken then. But I would still like to have you with me. Please, consider it a favor to me."

"Yes, Hokage-sama, If you say so. I will be there."

I glanced at my watch again. 8:41 AM.

"The elders have constructed a barrier located outside of the village for my wife to give birth. I will be taking her with me there at about 2:00 PM. Be there by then." Said I, and walked away, towards my house.

Despite myself, I grinned. This loop was quite.. interesting. There were so many changes this time around. I could only hope that my plan worked.

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**Note: I've done this in a bit of a hurry, so forgive me if I made some mistakes. Also, point them out! It helps me a lot! Thank you for reading, and if you read it, leave a review telling me what you liked, what you didn't like, what would you like to see, etc, etc so I can make some changes in the future from your feedback.**


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